Fauzia Imtiaz, Zaigham Abbas, Tariq Moatter.
Monitoring of HBe antigen and Alanine Aminotransferase levels in Hepatitis B virus DNA positive patients.
J Coll Physicians Surg Pak Jan ;15(2):103-4.

A retrospective study was conducted on specimens collected during 2002-2004, in which the data obtained from 413 individuals were analyzed for HBV-DNA, ALT and HBe antigen. Two hundred patients were found negative for HBV-DNA and were not included in the study. The remaining 213 patients were selected on the basis of their HBV-DNA detection. HBe antigen was assayed using micro particle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA) technique, manufactured by (Abbott, USA). Out of 213 patients, 167 (78%) were male. The mean age of the sample population was 25.4 years (range 2–80 years). Highest ALT value observed was 1192 IU/L whereas mean ALT was 47. 6 IU/L. HBe antigen was reactive in 193 (91%) cases. The absence of HBe antigen in HBV-DNA positive patients may have been due to the presence of precore mutations because HBV exhibits a higher mutational frequency than most DNA viruses. Patients with HBe antigen positive disease were younger than the HBe antigen negative patients (p < 0.05) and their mean ALT was also higher. However, it did not reach upto significant level but a direct significant association was observed between ALT levels and HBe antigen titres at p<0.05.

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